


Paroxysm

by orphan_account



Series: the beautiful and the profound (words) [14]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: (at the end) - Freeform, Alternate Universe - No Band, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Angst with a Happy Ending, Business Deals, Christmas Fluff, Fear of Coming Out, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, creepy older man, waiter josh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 14:51:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13102488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: (n.) a sudden outburst of emotion.





	Paroxysm

**Author's Note:**

> for my darling lavi

Josh rubbed sleep from his eyes as he stepped aside to let his best friend into his apartment.

Tyler immediately walked inside, beginning to pace when he was in the living space. Josh watched him, stifling a yawn before folding his arms and leaning against the door frame.

"What's happened?" He asked as Tyler ran a shaky hand through his ever-growing brown locks.

"Nothing." Tyler flinched, stopping his movements in order to fidget on the spot. Josh fixed him with a knowing look and he sighed. "I have a really important meeting tonight and I'm really freaking out that I'm gonna blow it. My boss will fire me if I ruin this deal for him."

Josh moved from the doorway to pull Tyler into a hug. "Ty, you're gonna be fine, people love you." He soothed and Tyler relaxed into his embrace, burying his nose into Josh's neck.

"Are you sure?" He asked, voice smaller than usual.

"Yes." Josh said without missing a beat.

Tyler smiled and pulled away, playing with his fingers to try and dispel the residual anxiety. Josh chuckled at the sight, causing Tyler to look up confused.

"I've haven't seen you this nervous since you proposed to your wife." Josh chuckled and Tyler gave him a look of disgust.

"Ex-wife," he emphasised, already beginning to fidget with anxiety again. "And thank you, I needed that like a shot to the foot."

Josh rolled his eyes playfully, grabbing Tyler's shoulders. "Stop stressing. You're going to nail it." He assured and Tyler nodded.

"Okay, can I take a nap here? I didn't sleep much." Josh rolled his eyes again before walking past Tyler to his kitchen.

"Couch is all yours." He called after himself.

A few hours later Tyler woke with a crick in his neck and a plate of bacon and eggs on the coffee table in front of him. He smiled as he stretched and sat up.

"Feel better?" Josh asked as he perched on the end of the couch, coffee in hand.

"Yes and no, your couch is really lumpy." Tyler whined, limps popping and cracking as he stretched them out and sat upright.

"You have your own apartment with an actual bed ya know." Josh quipped and Tyler poked his tongue out at him.

"Or I could just buy you a new couch." He muttered, shovelling eggs into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in years.

Josh ignored the comment, on account of the fact that Tyler was always offering to pay for things, like he felt guilty that he had a successful career while josh made scraps. He was a touring drummer for local bands as and when they needed a fill in (which wasn't very often at all) and more frequently, worked in a fancy restaurant as a waiter.

"So when is this meeting anyway?" Josh asked from behind his coffee mug as he flipped through channels on the TV.

"This evening," Tyler said swallowing the last few mouthfuls of breakfast. He looked at his empty plate guiltily. "At Green Arch."

Josh almost choked on his coffee. "Oh great." He said and Tyler gave him a sheepish smile. "I'm not faking drama to get you out of it this time, I almost got fired last time."

"I said I was sorry but she seemed so nice when I asked her out I didn't realise she'd want to talk marriage and babies on the first date?!" Tyler replied and Josh glared at him.

Tyler checked his watch, eyes widening. "Shoot, I gotta go to work, but I'll see you later right?"

Josh sighed. "I don't really have a choice Ty, I work there." He followed Tyler to his door and shut it behind him as he left. He rubbed his eyes and sighed again.

***

"Hello, I'm Marina and this is Mr. Nelson. You must be Mr. Joseph?"

"Or Tyler, either is fine." Tyler smiled, shaking the petite woman's hand. He then turned to large portly man with her, the man he was about to try to do business with. He shook his hand firmly, trying not to wince as his hand was almost crushed by the larger gentleman.

"Call me Bill, then." He smiled and Tyler nodded before gesturing for them to sit in the rounded corner booth. Marina sat between the two men.

They had just started to ease into the negotiation part of business talk when their waiter came over. Tyler couldn't help the fond smile that overcame him at the familiar sight of his best friend. Josh blushed but it was hard to see in the atmospheric dim lighting of the restaurant.

Josh could feel eyes dragging their way up and down himself and it made his skin crawl but he instead did his best to focus on Tyler's face, grounding himself in that stupidly dopey look Tyler always gave him, the one that made his stomach flutter so badly.

He quickly took their orders and headed off. A few minutes later Mr. Nelson excused himself to the bathroom leaving Marina and Tyler to small talk as they waited.

"How long have you two been partners?" Tyler asked Marina who laughed a little around her wine glass before placing it neatly on the table.

"I'm just his assistant, not his business partner and just between me and you," she leaned in placing a soft manicured hand onto Tyler's knee. Her voice lowered "you're more his type than I am."

Tyler gulped, flushing bright red, he nodded.

"That's not a problem, is it?" She asked innocently and Tyler gave a nervous smile.

"No, no, no! Sorry, I was just thinking that I forgot to make sure they don't serve me any crab meat, I'm terribly allergic, would you excuse me?"

Marina gave him a confused look but nodded and removed her hand. Tyler slipped out of his seat and headed for the bathrooms, he needed to calm down.

He scanned the restaurant for Josh's usual mop of brown curls but frowned when he couldn't find him. He needed to talk to him, what if this business deal hinged on Tyler having to like put out for this guy or something, he couldn't handle that, sure he liked men but he couldn't force himself to sleep with someone just for business, what was he supposed to do? Where the hell was Josh?

Tyler's question was answered when he walked through the arch way that separated the bathrooms from the restaurant. Josh was pushed up against the wall, head turned away as Mr Nelson whispered something in his ear, he was holding out a thick roll of bills as if offering them. The smirk on his face and the look of pure fear on Josh's made Tyler's blood run cold.

Josh looked up at him, as if noticing and he looked like a deer caught in headlights. Mr. Nelson noticed Tyler and smiled.

"Think about it kid." He said before putting the money back in his pocket and walking past Tyler back to their table. Tyler however, remained frozen, eyes locked with Josh's.

There was a long terrifying silence before Tyler found himself speaking without thinking.

"You never told me you were gay?" As soon as he said it, his eyes went wide, he didn't even understand why that was what he was thinking about.

Josh scoffed, finally moving from the wall, he blinked and a tear fell to the floor in front of him. " _Really_ Tyler? That's all you have to say?"

"No, I just- why didn't you ever tell me?"

Josh rolled his eyes, anger replacing the mix of other emotions racing around inside him.

"God forbid people keep their business to themselves Tyler. What? Are you scared I'm going to have a crush on you now, 'cos that's what all us gay people are like, right? Ya know what, my shifts over so kindly tell your friend-"

"Business partner." Tyler interrupted, wanting to smack himself because why was that the only thing he could bring himself to say right now.

"Kindly tell your _business partne_ r" Josh snapped bitterly. "That I had to leave, or just don't say anything I wouldn't want to compromise your deal." He spat, eyes still full of tears. He aggressively yanked off his apron and turned before heading through a door marked "employees only". Leaving Tyler staring after him.

Tyler swore loudly, kicking the wall in frustration. He ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath before storming back out to his table.

He didn't sit down despite his food having been brought out. Instead he stood next to Bill and glared at him.

"I'm very sorry but I'm going to have to pull out of this deal." Tyler blurted.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Nelson asked with a look of disgust.

"I don't think myself or the company I represent wants to associate with someone who so blatantly abuses their wealth for manipulating others, you have an unhealthy power dynamic that you abuse and that's not someone I want to do business with. Enjoy your meals, but I will be leaving now, goodbye."

Trying to ignore the pounding in his ears, Tyler walked straight out of the restaurant without looking back. He immediately doubled over when he got outside, trying to take deep breaths. He was so getting fired tomorrow, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

He stood up and began figuring out what to do next when he saw Josh stood tucked out of the way, fumbling with his phone as tears fell onto the screen. Tyler approached him slowly, but he didn't look up until Tyler was stood directly in front of him. When they made eye contact Tyler instinctively pulled him into a hug letting Josh sob into his shoulder.

Tyler shushed him quietly, rubbing his back soothingly.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He repeated, nose pressed into Josh's hair. Josh only clung on tighter, fingers flexing in the material of his jacket as he hugged him closer.

"Let's go home." Tyler said and Josh nodded, letting Tyler wipe his face with the back of his fingers.

It was like they were on autopilot as their fingers laced together and Tyler pulled Josh into a cab and took him back to his apartment. He never let go as he guided Josh inside and into his bedroom.  He handed Josh some sweats and let him shower while he put his own sweats on. He found some leftover pizza in the fridge and decided to heat it up.

When Josh came out of the shower, clothes sticking to him, he remained quiet. They ate in silence until Tyler couldn't take it anymore.

"I told him to go shove his deal."

Josh looked up from his slice with wide sore eyes.

"Look, my brain was in complete meltdown when I saw him like that, with his hands all over you and I just, I acted like a supreme idiot. I'm so sorry." Tyler continued, putting down his half-eaten slice and shuffling closer to Josh on the couch.

"I didn't want you to treat me differently because I like men." Josh replied self consciously.

"I know and you must think I'm an asshole and I don't blame you but Josh, I wouldn't treat you differently because you like boys, that'd kinda make me a hypocrite." Josh's eyes went wide again as he held his breath. Tyler moved closer again. "But this does change things, I freaked out back there because I was blind to it, like I was in denial because if you're gay then I have to acknowledge that you just don't like me back after all this time." Tyler confessed and Josh felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Like you back?"

"When you said you didn't have a crush on me, it felt like I'd been stabbed or something and I guess I realised I've probably had feelings for you for a really long time, like long enough to not even realise that's what they were." Tyler shook his head, flopping his back against the couch, and throwing his head back.

Instinctively Josh followed his heat as he moved back. Without really knowing what he was doing just that he wanted to know how it felt, he'd wanted to know for years. He moved up, putting down his pizza, to straddle Tyler's lap. Cautiously his fingers thread into Tyler's hair as Tyler's hands slid up his back. He lifted Tyler's head, hooded eyes meeting.

Their lips were a hair's width apart, open-mouthed, but neither one knew how to breathe in that moment, tension so thick it almost froze them in place.

Would they ever be able to come back from this moment?

Josh thought he could hear a pin drop before Tyler was pushing forward, capturing his lips and the world stopped spinning.

It was hot and desperate and Josh clung on like gravity had stopped working and this would all slip away, that he was going to float away.

It was everything and more, both boys desperate to taste and feel and neither one wanted to stop as their lips worked hot and heavy against one another. Josh's tongue brushed over Tyler's and both boys shivered with excitement. It felt like nothing they'd ever experienced before and yet simultaneously like they'd always been kissing each other, like it was something they'd done since time began and would continue to do until time ended.

When they couldn't breathe anymore Tyler pulled back, tugging Josh's bottom lip between his teeth as he pulled back. They panted hard as Tyler let his forehead rest on Josh's, their noses rubbing affectionately.

Josh's hands moved from Tyler's hair to his hips, as Tyler cupped Josh's face. He pressed slow soft kisses on every inch of Josh's face, as the two soaked up the moment.

There was nothing left to say, it had all been said, tomorrow when they awoke, Josh curled into Tyler's chest, curls tickling his neck, and Tyler's heart skipping at the sight of the most beautiful man he's ever met, then they would talk about things. After pancakes and coffee and sugary sweet kisses over the breakfast table, after Tyler got a phone call telling him he's fired that makes him laugh and kiss away Josh's unnecessary guilt. They would talk and agree to be boyfriends and they would hold hands and explore the city, because neither one could believe they've lived in New York this long without really experiencing it.

And in six months, they'll be so happy it makes their friends sick, and Tyler will have a new even better job and so will Josh and nothing else will matter except that first cautious brushing of their lips, and the smell of reheated pizza and Tyler's shampoo in Josh's hair. And the fact that Tyler just whispered in Josh's ear, while he sat on his lap, watching Josh's sisters unwrap their Christmas presents, "Merry Christmas, Baby. I love you." And more importantly, Josh will blush and squirm and bury his nose in Tyler's neck and mumble a shy "I love you more" back.

**Author's Note:**

> merry christmas, i love you!
> 
> thanks for reading.


End file.
